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Here's what I think is a pretty decent competition The one to the right is the new double IPA from Backcountry Brewery in Frisco, CO, not that I imagine most of you care. It's pretty great, though KBS was the first time I tried it ever (and thanks to Corbet for trading it to me). So, for that matter, was Avery's Uncle Jacob's Stout, a 17.4% monster that has been aged in first-used bourbon barrels for six months. It made for a really interesting comparison. Both were really awesome, of course, featuring complexity that I can't even imagine from any other beers and being just as fine to smell for a good while as they were to taste. I think the main difference was heat. Uncle Jacob's tasted like every bit of its alcohol, and that was tough to get used to at first (I'm sure this will get better with age), while KBS was smooth and belied pretty much all of its flavors pretty quickly. On the other hand, Uncle Jacob's had a distinct chocolate flavor right out front which was both pleasant and helped to balance out the alcohol/bourbon/etc. flavors pretty well after a bit, making it pretty even with KBS's bourbon/coffee action after a little bit. Edge to KBS for now but that may change after a few months.
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Apr 10, 2012 05:35
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Picked up a 6-pack of Hopslam a couple weeks ago on a whim. Just had my first one and HOLY poo poo it's so good. I don't really know a whole lot about beer, but are there similar ones to this that I can get all year (near Asheville, NC)? I'm not totally ignorant-have tried plenty of IPAs-but the slight honey sweetness and balance is really, really special.
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Apr 10, 2012 05:57
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Y'know, I'd like to ask that same question, 'cos Hopslam tastes totally unique to me along those same lines. That bit of sweetness to it. I'm surprised no one (that I know of) has tried to copy that part of it.
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Apr 10, 2012 06:04
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crazyfish posted:Same here, though Dead Guy is decent. I also haven't heard about any shady business practices...care to enlighten, Midorka? http://www.nwlaborpress.org/2011/0617/6-17-11IBT.html There was another article I can't find, but basically disrespect of employees and lovely business practices combined with mediocre beers and decent ones being very expensive. I'll never buy another Rogue beer. Edit: And this http://beervana.blogspot.com/2011/06/rogue-of-week-rogue-ales.html?showComment=1308818292085#c4083520726892512364 $5 for a less than 12 ounce XS beer and the rest of their beers being mediocre, from what I've tasted, is reason enough for me to drink other breweries. Midorka fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Apr 10, 2012 |
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Apr 10, 2012 06:08
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SUPER HASSLER posted:Y'know, I'd like to ask that same question, 'cos Hopslam tastes totally unique to me along those same lines. That bit of sweetness to it. I'm surprised no one (that I know of) has tried to copy that part of it. i don't know any year-round DIPA/IIPA that's as good as hopslam or similar. the only one i know of that has that mild sweetness is dark horse's double crooked tree, which is seasonal and, in my opinion, slightly better than hopslam. i'm assuming the sweetness comes from the high alcohol content with DCT, but bells uses honey in hopslam.
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Apr 10, 2012 12:49
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Last night's Double Dead Guy is the last Rogue beer for me. I like Dead Guy and John John (especially the hazelnut) a lot, but there's no way I am going to support those kinds of business practices.
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Apr 10, 2012 13:21
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Midorka posted:http://www.nwlaborpress.org/2011/0617/6-17-11IBT.html Rogue Ale: Because there's a little rogue inside all of us.* *Little rogue must be kept inside at all times or it will be crushed. Rogue Ales would like to remind you to rebel responsibly.** **Not at all. I'd completely forgotten about this and I got a couple of Rogue beers in my last mixed six pack. 
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Apr 10, 2012 13:43
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It's my opinion that poor labor practices lead to overall increases in cost and low quality, caused primarily by high turnover and the many problems that come with it. Good catch on that Rogue article - bad labor practices are a big deal to me.
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Apr 10, 2012 13:47
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Rogue's jobs page is pretty ridiculous/damning: "Aggressive people appear to do well here, passive aggressive – not so well." no follow up on any of this?
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Apr 10, 2012 14:18
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Trot_to_Trotsky posted:I never really liked ABC, but I thought Grizzly Peak was pretty good the last time I went. Also, I'm jealous of you western Michiganders who can flit between Founders, Brewery Vivant and Bells at will. Dang there sure are a lot of current/former Ann Arbor residents in this thread. Why didn't any of you make yourselves known a bit earlier? Could have had a good goon beer tasting or something. (I don't bite, promise.) Also yes, ABC and Corner are poo poo. If you're going to Ann Arbor for beer, head to Jolly Pumpkin, Ashley's or Wolverine.
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Apr 10, 2012 14:38
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funkybottoms posted:Rogue's jobs page is pretty ridiculous/damning: Wow, I'm angry just reading their Jobs page. How loving condescending can you be?
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Apr 10, 2012 14:40
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Sirotan posted:Dang there sure are a lot of current/former Ann Arbor residents in this thread. Why didn't any of you make yourselves known a bit earlier? Could have had a good goon beer tasting or something. (I don't bite, promise.) There seems to be a lack of effort when it comes to Ann Arbor goons and meet-ups. I'd definitely be interested and I could bring some great stuff to share (Beatification, Black Tuesday, Chocolate Rain, Jackie O's Releases)
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Apr 10, 2012 15:19
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cymbalrush posted:Picked up a 6-pack of Hopslam a couple weeks ago on a whim. Just had my first one and HOLY poo poo it's so good. I don't really know a whole lot about beer, but are there similar ones to this that I can get all year (near Asheville, NC)? I'm not totally ignorant-have tried plenty of IPAs-but the slight honey sweetness and balance is really, really special. It's not year round, but Laughing Dog's Sneaky Pete is out now and is probably the closest thing I've had to Hopslam. It's not the same, but it is really, really good and it has a little bit of sweetness to it. You should be able to get it in Asheville.
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Apr 10, 2012 15:32
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Corbet posted:There seems to be a lack of effort when it comes to Ann Arbor goons and meet-ups. I'd definitely be interested and I could bring some great stuff to share (Beatification, Black Tuesday, Chocolate Rain, Jackie O's Releases) For quite a long time I was the main organizer for all things Ann Arbor goon meets, but when years go by and no one else gives a poo poo enough to put in effort to reciprocate, it gets obnoxious. That and soooooooooooooooo many of the new A2 goons would be like "hey guys I'm new in town and would love to meet new people! But oh by the way alcohol is the work of the devil and I'm not willing to come within 10ft of a bar" and yeah. (Also most goons are weird.) So I stopped and now they just do nothing. /derail I've been thinking of organizing something with local BAers, but if there are more local goons left besides Corbet that would be fun too.
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Apr 10, 2012 15:32
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I had my first pumpkin ale (Buffalo Bill's) last fall and really liked it. What should I look for this next fall season? I see Bill's has a pretty meh rating on Beer Advocate; what's better, in your opinions?
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Apr 10, 2012 16:40
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^^^anything, really^^^Retemnav posted:It's not year round, but Laughing Dog's Sneaky Pete is out now and is probably the closest thing I've had to Hopslam. It's not the same, but it is really, really good and it has a little bit of sweetness to it. You should be able to get it in Asheville. that was going to be my suggestion- i've not had it, but it's been described to me as a Hopslam clone
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Apr 10, 2012 16:51
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Sneaky's sweetness isn't as smooth or as natural-tasting as Hopslam and the citrus notes are kinda flat, but otherwise it is pretty close.
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Apr 10, 2012 16:55
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I'll drive up from Fort Wayne if you guys are gonna have a meetup. I've got a lot of rare poo poo that needs to be drank. However it is mandatory that I hit up Zingermans and JP.
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Apr 10, 2012 17:12
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Huge_Midget posted:I'll drive up from Fort Wayne if you guys are gonna have a meetup. I've got a lot of rare poo poo that needs to be drank. However it is mandatory that I hit up Zingermans and JP. I'd say skip Zingerman's and eat at Jolly Pumpkin, their food is loving fantastic. Guess I'm gonna have to get to organizing this...
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Apr 10, 2012 17:41
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funkybottoms posted:Rogue's jobs page is pretty ridiculous/damning: Well the CEO of Rogue was part of the marketing division of Nike or something like that, and most of the higher ups were as well, basically they're just ignoring it and pretending it doesn't exist rather than respond and have it potentially look bad on their part. Rogue is basically image first, beer second from what I understand. As I said I'm going to pass on their beer from now on, it's not like I'll be missing anything worth seeking out anyway. Last night I drank a Green Flash Palate Wrecker and was shocked when I gave it a smell, lots of tropical sweetness and fruitiness of mango, banana, pineapple, and orange it reminded me of Firestone's Double Jack from what I remember. The flavor though definitely lives up to the name, slightly sweet up-front with some tropical flavors, but it hits hard with a grapefruit bite at the end. I enjoyed it but am glad I opted for a single over a 4 pack.
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Apr 10, 2012 17:44
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Rogue makes it too easy to trash them:  This is as bad as it looks. Worse, maybe. I'm glad I tried it at a party, and didn't pay my own money for it.
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Apr 10, 2012 18:30
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MalleusDei posted:Rogue makes it too easy to trash them: Haha, my first thought was "hrm, Voodoo's bacon maple doughnut bar is underwhelming, bet this will suck too." Unlike other beers, it's real easy to see how few people are buying this at any store I go to. I was hoping at first glance it was going to be a breast cancer charity-related beer but after reading the links on this page I suppose that would be too much to ask of Rogue.
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Apr 10, 2012 18:39
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wattershed posted:Haha, my first thought was "hrm, Voodoo's bacon maple doughnut bar is underwhelming, bet this will suck too." I feel like there's maybe a decent ale underneath it, but its really a mess. Tons of mapley sweetness up front and smoky bacon at the finish. If both elements were more subtle, it might be drinkable, but its not worth it as is.
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Apr 10, 2012 18:45
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The beer, in theory, sounds like it should be fantastic. I haven't heard anything good about it though.
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Apr 10, 2012 18:53
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SUPER HASSLER posted:Here's what I think is a pretty decent competition Thanks for the Uncle Jacob's review. I saw the press releases and thought "oh, a retardedly high ABV release from Avery? How unusual  " So it's worth trying? I actually usually enjoy Avery, it just seems like lately they are going all Brew Dog with 15-20% beers in a friggin bomber.
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Apr 10, 2012 19:11
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Wamsutta posted:Wow, I'm angry just reading their Jobs page. How loving condescending can you be? Some other tidbits from the Jobs page: "We believe “Job Security” is a myth," benefits include: "2 paid holidays, bad health insurance like most others not paid for by us for Government staff, hurt feelings report." "We do not plan, budget, forecast, or waste time on getting bigger" "Hiring decisions will be inexplicable – this ain’t widgets, we will be wrong a lot." "we have no HR department" Looks to me like they have a piss poor attitude towards their employees and just want someone to shut and keep their head down. It's the kind of attitude you might expect in big-box retail, but certainly not from a company that lives and dies by the quality of its own products. I'd say their unwillingness to invest in employees is causing them to lose a lot of people that might otherwise rise above the brewhouse floor and make good decisions for the brewery. I'm guessing they have a real "boys club" leadership team, because they don't seem to notice that their product offerings are unfocused (only a single "flagship" beer), meaning they have to generate revenue from their absurd number of overpriced, mediocre tasting, inconsistently available beers. edit: sorry to continue the "derail", but I think it's worth briefly discussing the ethics of the products we buy and enjoy. Ethical consumerism should go hand in hand with the labor of love that is Beer. Compare Rogue's apparent practices to a place like New Belgium, who have been ranked many times as one of the best places to work in Colorado. NB is employee-owned, shares profits, grows consistently, purchases wind energy offsets, and has a defined set of "flagship" regular offerings supplemented by seasonals and high-end beers. Rogue treats their employees like crap, doesn't care about growth, and has a big mishmash of overpriced beers that haven't changed in the 7 years I've been microbrew shopping. CalvinDooglas fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Apr 10, 2012 |
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Apr 10, 2012 19:19
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CalvinDooglas posted:"we have no HR department" Quite the shocker there!
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Apr 10, 2012 19:26
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I have to believe that was intended to be a joke, right? It's not funny, but that's all I can come up with besides "wow what a bunch of shitheads". It wouldn't be the first time I've seen really dumb crap on a job description or company website. Not to get completely offtopic but there are some real gems that get posted in the SH/SC subforum.
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Apr 10, 2012 19:40
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I like how on the Dark Horse "Jobs" section of their website, there's a question that is basically, "Are you the kind of person who has dropped acid 20 or more times? If so, we're the place for you!" or something along those lines. Also, just the concept of maple bacon beer. No thanks, sounds absolutely vile.
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Apr 10, 2012 19:42
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I Dont Like You posted:Also, just the concept of maple bacon beer. No thanks, sounds absolutely vile. Maybe you need to drop acid 20 times before the beer makes sense. I've never really been able to dig on bacon beers. I've tried, maybe, four or five at the last two Kegs for Kids and it mostly tasted like I was drinking straight worcestershire sauce.
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Apr 10, 2012 19:49
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Docjowles posted:I have to believe that was intended to be a joke, right? It's not funny, but that's all I can come up with besides "wow what a bunch of shitheads". It wouldn't be the first time I've seen really dumb crap on a job description or company website. Not to get completely offtopic but there are some real gems that get posted in the SH/SC subforum. It's the Stone 'don't drink fizzy yellow beer' mantra, but instead of strictly speaking about the quality of their beer it's about the ignorance of their staff. Tomayto, tomahto.
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Apr 10, 2012 19:49
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CalvinDooglas posted:It's my opinion that poor labor practices lead to overall increases in cost and low quality, caused primarily by high turnover and the many problems that come with it. I agree 100%, having experienced a similar situation at my previous job in Denmark: Sales before quality, belligerent and incompetent management, and employees who are overworked, undercompensated and treated like garbage. I did everything I could to improve quality, but it's kind of difficult when you work 90-hour weeks and your manager still thinks you're a worthless piece of poo poo because you still bother to sleep once in a while. If that is, in fact, the situation at Rogue, then hopefully things will catch up with them the way that they're now catching up with the Danish guys. They're now on their fifth head brewer within the last year. Ethical and equitable management isn't just a warm fuzzy sort of thing, it actually results in better efficiency and quality! I'd read the Rogue jobs page when I was seeking brewing work, and even when I was desperately sending out hundreds of resumes that page instantly prevented me from applying there. It's absolute psychobabble coming from the mouths of business managers who don't want to look like business managers and want to maintain an image. There's not a single word in there that sounds like it'd make anybody want to work there, it's belligerent and insulting, and it's poorly-formatted word soup that communicates absolutely nothing. Plus, they only accept resumes by snail mail? And require a copy of your high school transcript??? And they REQUIRE you to become part of the Rogue Nation club just to have the privilege to apply? It's like a window into lovely management policies and mental illness all wrapped together. Thankfully I now work at a brewery that treats its employees very well, and who understand how important employee satisfaction and safety are. 
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Apr 10, 2012 20:16
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Meanwhile, I hear that if you work at NB for a year you get one of their bicycles and if you get 5 years' tenure you get to go to Belgium I doubt they'd be any more union-friendly if it came to that, but there is definitely something to the philosophy of investing in happy workers having huge positive effects on the company and its product. quote:Thanks for the Uncle Jacob's review. So it's worth trying? I think so but in retrospect I probably shoulda sat on it for awhile instead of passing it around fresh.
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Apr 10, 2012 21:02
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Sirotan posted:I'd say skip Zingerman's and eat at Jolly Pumpkin, their food is loving fantastic. I have a soft spot in my heart for Zingerman's because I lived literally three blocks away for my last year in grad school (1999-2000). That said, the prices were a little bit more reasonable back then ($9-12 for a sandwich vs. $12-16 now or whatever ridiculousness they've gotten up to). And I haven't lived in A^2 since 2002, so that's why it hasn't really been relevant to me, sorry! Hell, I only actually made it back to Michigan a little less than four years ago, and all of that's been in GR. In other GR beer news, I stopped by Vivant on the way home from work today, and they're canning both the Zaison and their Tripel. Both are awesome. Also, if one of you goons stop by and they still have the wood-aged Triomphe on tap, try it, because holy poo poo. It's goddamn amazing.
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Apr 10, 2012 22:17
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Yeah I've heard nothing but fantastic things about New Belgium, I mean just this list and tell me you aren't jealous.
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Apr 10, 2012 22:23
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funkybottoms posted:^^^anything, really^^^ I remember trying and liking Goose Island's, which had star anise in it, and it was good but not sessional, which is primarily what I like about Buffalo Bills. Very friendly ol' fally beer, if not a little plain. Anyways, I'd swear I could find next to nothing around me besides Buffalo Bills last fall; I remember trying and liking it, then reading that it was the lowest rated of its kind on BA and thinking "poo poo, if this is the worst example I'd like to see the best". Can anyone confirm whether Chicago is a dead zone for this style, or do I need to look harder next time?
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Apr 10, 2012 22:27
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Midorka posted:Yeah I've heard nothing but fantastic things about New Belgium, I mean just this list and tell me you aren't jealous. I know some people who work at New Belgium, it does not suck. I applied for an IT job there a while ago and literally an hour after getting the rejection notice, I had to take a visiting buddy there on a tour. The guide would NOT shut up about how much it rules to work for them, I was about ready to strangle the poor guy by the end 
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Apr 10, 2012 22:28
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mysterious frankie posted:I had my first pumpkin ale (Buffalo Bill's) last fall and really liked it. What should I look for this next fall season? I see Bill's has a pretty meh rating on Beer Advocate; what's better, in your opinions? On an unrelated note, I am also one of the people who got hooked on craft beers by Unibroue (maybe it's their badass labels). For me it was Fin du Monde, which I don't actually like that much anymore. Trois Pistoles is still one of my favorites, though. I actually thought I hated beer before that, since all of the macros I'd tried before had given me headaches. Awesome label for good measure: 
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Apr 10, 2012 22:33
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e: quote is not edit
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Apr 10, 2012 22:34
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Stroop There It Is posted:
Éphémère pairs AMAZINGLY well with pork chops.
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Apr 10, 2012 22:39
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